Reunion
by Kishiro Kitsune
Summary: Shiro's reunion with Adam doesn't go at all how he expected.
1. Reunion

I wanted to write something cute between these two before Season 7 arrives and breaks my heart into ten-thousand pieces. No, I haven't watched any part of episode 1. In fact, I've been trying to avoid all spoilers. Yes, I realize writing this is probably going to ruin that attempt.

Basically, everything I put in here is based on what I've seen from the trailer and from what brief little bit I know of Shiro and Adam's relationship. (Which is almost nothing.)

* * *

Reunion

There was only one person on Shiro's mind when they got back to Earth. It only intensified when they learned that Sendak's forces had arrived ahead of them, terrorizing the threatening the human population in their absence. The knowledge that the Galaxy Garrison had opened its door as a shelter and that similar shelters had been opened across the planet, gave him only a small measure of relief.

He had so many other things he needed to worry about. So many other things that needed to be done, if they were going to beat back Sendak. He and the other paladins, with their expertise in fighting the Galra and knowledge of alien tech, were more useful working with Iverson and the other commanding officers of the Garrison. And he knew that, but still...

Shiro tried to cast a fifth inconspicuous look around in an attempt to find him. When he returned to the conversation, Sam Holt gave him a knowing look.

"Go find him, Shiro," he said. "You won't have any peace until you do."

Shiro blushed at how transparent his desires apparently were, at least to Sam, but he had a good point. He honestly couldn't remember half of what they were talking about, and his exhaustion was only part to blame. He looked to the other paladins, taking in the way Lance was leaning heavily against Hunk, who'd spent the past ten minutes drifting off to sleep, only to jerk back away. Pidge was swaying on her feet and Shiro would worry about her falling over if it weren't for the fact that Keith was next to her, keeping a sleepy but wary eye on her. Allura kept fidgeting with her hands in a desperate attempt to stay away and keep focused. Even Coran and Krolia were struggling, and poor Romelle, so determined to stay alert, looked as though she was about to drop.

"Alright team, get some rest. We'll pick this up again in a few hours," Shiro told them.

"What about you?" Keith asked.

"There's something I have to do first. I won't be long," Shiro promised.

Keith looked like he wanted to argue more, but kept his mouth shut and nodded. Shiro suspected if he took longer than fifteen minutes, Keith would personally hunt him down and drag him back to where they were sleeping.

After a quick word with Sam, he set off, making his way through the crowd.

Before Kerberos, people would stop and stare because he was _The_ Takashi Shirogane, ace pilot, and poster child of the Galaxy Garrison. They stared because of the respect he commanded and the awe he inspired.

With his return, they stared at a broken man; a ghost of who he once was in more than just appearance.

Shiro ignored them all and focused on his goal.

He needed to see for himself that Adam was okay. It didn't matter how things ended between them. It didn't matter if Adam turned him away. What did matter was seeing him alive and unharmed.

Shiro could only stop and watch him, caught off-guard by the sudden rush of emotions that hit him when he saw Adam again for the first time in two years. He was talking to a group of cadets, paying no attention to anything else around him, which gave Shiro ample time to regain control. He'd seen all he needed, but something held him there, rooted to that spot.

And then Adam looked over. Absolute disbelief colored his face, his eyes going wide as he hurriedly began pushing his way through the crowd with a growing desperation. He stopped just before Shiro, taking a moment to look at him.

"Takashi?" he asked, his voice cracking.

Shiro smiled sadly back. "Hey, Adam."

Adam sobbed and took Shiro completely by surprise when he threw his arms around him, holding him tight and close. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I wished I could have taken it back the moment you left. I _never_ should have said those things to you. I never should have made you feel like you had to choose. I'm so sorry!"

Shiro could only hold onto him with his remaining arm, stifling his own tears into Adam's shoulder. "You're still here," he mumbled, barely managing to get the words out.

Adam shuddered as he dragged in a breath and drew back slightly to get a better look at Shiro's face. He reached up to caress along his jawline and trace a finger across the scar on the bridge of his nose, as if trying to reassure himself that he wasn't imagining him; Shiro really was there, _alive_ , in front of him.

"I'm not going anywhere, Takashi. I love you."

Shiro closed his eyes. It was so much more than he expected. So much more than he deserved. He opened his eyes again, gazing at the face of the man he still loved with all of his heart. "Marry me?"

Seconds stretched on as Adam stared up at him with wide eyes, his lips slightly parted in surprise. "I..." His voice broke, but he pressed on. "No fair. That's no fair, Takashi. I had this whole plan. This whole, stupid proposal planned out and here you are, asking before I can get the chance to," Adam said. A tiny, hysterical laugh bubbled up, but he was smiling, his eyes glistening with fresh tears.

Shiro could hardly believe what he was hearing. "You had a plan?"

"I did. It was a week after you left. I had this whole vision of what I'd do when you came back. How I'd go to the Garrison to see you land and be one of the first to welcome you home. Then I'd get down on one knee and... and ask you to marry me."

"That sounds wonderful," Shiro whispered. "Much better than mine. I'm sorry I ruined it."

Adam shook his head. "You haven't ruined anything. You came home to me, even after everything I said. I don't deserve you."

Shiro's heart twisted in his chest at Adam's words. It would be so easy to respond the same – to start a back-and-forth of who was less deserving of the other. (After all, Shiro had left first when he chose the Kerberos mission over Adam.) But he didn't want that. He had to believe that they were equally deserving of each other, or else what was the point?

"We both deserve this. This is our second chance and I'm going to take it. I just need to know that you feel the same."

"Yes," Adam said without hesitation. He raised up on tiptoe, sliding his hand to the back of Shiro's neck, guiding him in for a long, overdue kiss. When they both pulled away, breathless, Adam playfully ran his fingers through Shiro's short hair.

"So, uh, about your new look..."

"What, you don't like the hair? I think it makes me look distinguished," Shiro joked.

"Ha," Adam said dryly. "As your fiance, I think I'm going to have to insist that you dye it. Everyone's going to think I'm in love with an old man."

 _Fiance._

Shiro couldn't stop a grin from breaking out across his face at the word. Pure elation swelled in his chest and he couldn't help but swoop in for another kiss. And then another. And another. Until Adam was laughing from the number of kisses being planted all over his face.

Somewhere between them all, Shiro managed to whisper: "I love you."


	2. Bonus Chapter

Here's the silly chapter. Everyone's mildly out-of-character, but hopefully not too much.

 **BONUS**

"Hi, I'm Adam. Shiro's fiance."

Lance spat out the food goo he was eating, eliciting a disgruntled glare from Hunk, who was both disgusted by his friend's lack of manners and the waste of their precious food supplies. Pidge looked between Shiro and Adam with mild surprise, ignoring whatever was happening next to her. Allura and Coran looked excited by the news, while Krolia and Romelle appeared curious. And Keith...

"Well it's about time," Keith said, staring at Adam, who shook his head and pointed to Shiro. "Seriously? You two are a disaster."

"Keith," Shiro chastised, though he sounded too amused for it to be effective. He paused as a thought occurred to him and he frowned at the current Black Paladin. "Wait, why did you think it was Adam who proposed?"

"Because I helped pick out the rings."

It was Shiro's turn to be surprised as he turned to face Adam. "You got us rings?"

Adam nodded. "Well, I did say my plan was to propose to you the moment you got back. Most people do that with a ring."

"Shiro, you proposed without getting him a ring? What kind of example are you trying to set for the rest of us?" Pidge teased, too amused to sound properly (albeit fakely) scandalized by the whole thing.

Shiro buried his face in his remaining hand in sheer embarrassment. "It was spur of the moment, okay?"

"Now, now. Leave Shiro alone," Allura said, coming to his rescue. "I'm sure it was all very romantic and Adam doesn't seem upset. So how did you ask? Give us all of the the details!"

Adam tried not to laugh at Shiro's misery at the line of questioning, but failed. "Oh yes, it was very romantic. I told him I loved him and his response was 'marry me?'"

There was a momentary uproar as Pidge and Keith couldn't contain their laughter. Lance was quick to get over his temporary confusion and had moved on to bemoaning their leader's apparent lack of romance skills.

"Awww," Hunk cooed.

Which was followed by a brief silence and an unexpected "Hunk, what the fuck?" from Pidge. And then the noise resumed, with Lance calling out Pidge for her foul mouth while Hunk argued his defense.

Adam pressed a quick kiss to Shiro's cheek. "Don't worry, babe. We'll get the rings _and_ have a better proposal story before we tell our parents."


End file.
